15 Jan 2019

China’s getting into extraterrestrial agriculture, sprouts seeds in moon lander
For the first time anybody is aware of, seeds have sprouted on a celestial body beyond Earth. The China National Space Administration released a photo Tuesday showing that cotton seeds brought to the far side of the moon by the country’s Chang’e 4 lander had germinated, the South China Morning Post reports. Liu Hanlong, chief of the first biological growth experiments on the moon, said rapeseed and potato seeds have also sprouted, but cotton was first.

Xi makes it Clear – Prepare for War with Taiwan – Maybe a Convenient way for the U.S. to bankrupt China
President Xi, made it clear that a war with Taiwan is inevitable. In his speech Xi made it said that there is only one China. President Xi described it as “inevitable requirement”. SCMP notes that Xi has little patience with Taiwan; Xi has said the “problem” cannot be put off for another generation and has called on the military to be prepared to fight “bloody battles” for every “single inch” of its territory.

Pentagon extends mission to Mexico border through September
The U.S. military will extend a mission to support security along the U.S. border with Mexico through Sept. 30, the Pentagon said on Monday. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the extension in response to a request from the Homeland Security Department, the Pentagon said in a statement. There are about 2,350 troops assigned to the border mission.

Turkey to Build First-Ever Church in Its Modern Republic
Work on the first-ever church to be built in the modern Republic of Turkey will start next month. Construction on the church will take about two years, according to The Christian Post. The church is expected to serve Syriac Orthodox Christians. The church’s capacity is about 700 people. There are some 17,000 Syriac Orthodox Christians living in Istanbul.

The Rise of DNA Testing as the Precursor to Messiah
Rabbi Berger speculated that the new technology foreshadows the actions of the Messiah that will follow. “The Zohar stated that in the last 1,000 years, all of the wisdom that is contained in creation will be revealed,” Rabbi Berger said. “But all of this wisdom will be embodied in the Messiah himself.”

Babylon Calling
…word came that several Iraqi delegations had visited Israeli government officials! Wow, what an amazing turnaround of history, especially given the hostilities of the last century between the countries. Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged this latest breakthrough and it is nothing short of amazing.

Netanyahu warns Iran: You had better leave Syria – now
After Iran denies it is has military presence in Syria, Netanyahu advises Iran to ‘get out of there fast’, vowing to intensify air campaign. “Yesterday I heard the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman saying ‘Iran has no military presence in Syria, we only advise them’,” said the Israeli premier. “So let me advise them — get out of there fast, because we’ll continue our forceful policy of attacking, as we promised and are doing, fearlessly and relentlessly,” Netanyahu continued.

Satellite images show complete destruction of Iranian weapons cache
New satellite images of an Iranian weapons storehouse at the Damascus International Airport showed the complete destruction of the site following Israeli airstrikes on Friday. A side-by-side comparison released by the Israeli satellite company ImageSat International shows a photo taken December 23 of a 20×50 meters structure alongside a photo taken on Monday January 14, in which three craters can be seen where the compound once stood.

Netanyahu to Iran: ‘Get out of Syria fast. We won’t stop attacking’
Netanyahu sent a warning to Iran at the appointment ceremony of incoming IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi Tuesday morning. In referring to Iran’s entrenchment Syria, Netanyahu said: “I’m telling you, get out of there fast. We wont stop attacking.” The prime minister frequently warns against an Iranian presence in Syria, saying Israel will not allow for the regime to take hold there.

Zimbabwe fuel protests: MDC opposition office torched
The main office of Zimbabwe’s opposition party, MDC, has been torched following protests sparked by the more than doubling of the fuel price. Photos taken at the scene show security gates torn down, windows smashed and burnt debris on the floor. Several people have been killed and hundreds arrested following protests in the capital, Harare, and Bulawayo.

Robert Schellenberg case: China accuses Canada of ‘double standards’
China has rejected accusations from Canada that it is arbitrarily applying a death sentence to a Canadian convicted of drug smuggling. Beijing accused Canada of double standards. Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was initially given a 15-year jail term in November – but on Monday a court increased the sentence, saying it was too lenient. The ruling is likely to worsen a diplomatic row between the countries.

Syria war: Turkey ready to create ‘safe zone’ for Kurds – Erdogan
urkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he responded positively to Donald Trump’s call for a “safe zone” along its border with Kurdish-held Syria. The leaders spoke by telephone after Mr Trump threatened to “devastate Turkey economically” if it attacked a Kurdish militia when allied US troops withdrew. Turkey regards the People’s Protection Units (YPG) as a terrorist group.

Pentagon extends mission to Mexico border through September
The U.S. military will extend a mission to support security along the U.S. border with Mexico through Sept. 30, the Pentagon said on Monday. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan approved the extension in response to a request from the Homeland Security Department, the Pentagon said in a statement. There are about 2,350 troops assigned to the border mission.

Iran fails to launch satellite into orbit after ignoring warnings from US
Iran‘s attempt to launch a satellite failed to reach orbit, the country’s telecommunications minister has said. The rocket carrying the Payam satellite failed to reach the “necessary speed” in the third stage of its launch, Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi told Iranian state television. Mr Jahromi said the rocket had successfully passed its first and second stages before developing problems in the third.

World’s 2nd-deadliest Ebola outbreak reaches 600 confirmed cases
The second-largest, second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in history has reached 600 confirmed cases in five months, health officials said. Since the outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Aug. 1, a total of 649 people have reported symptoms of hemorrhagic fever in the country’s northeastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. Among those cases, 600 have tested positive for Ebola virus disease…

GIANT food stores to use in-store robots at all locations
GIANT food stores will begin introducing a new robotic assistant to all of its 172 stores. The new robot, “Marty,” is tall and gray with googly eyes. This robot will be working alongside associates. Marty moves around the store unassisted and is used to identify hazards such as liquid, powder and bulk-food items spills. The robot frees up associates to spend more time serving customers.

Senior US official vows to counter Iran, Hezbollah on Lebanon visit
The US will step up efforts to counter Iran’s “dangerous activities” around the region including the financing and activities of proxy organizations such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a senior US official said Monday. US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale spoke following talks he held with Lebanese politicians at the end of an official visit.

No clear path for California as massive PG&E utility nears bankruptcy
PG&E Corp’s announcement that it will file for bankruptcy, citing massive potential liability from deadly wildfires, puts California politicians in quandary, whether to offer a bailout or risk allowing the state’s largest private utility to fail. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, told reporters late on Monday his team was discussing the possibility of helping PG&E (PCG.N) stay solvent, but no decisions had been made.

Hundreds of Hondurans set off toward United States in new caravan
Hundreds of Honduran migrants began the long trek north on Monday, part of new U.S.-bound caravan that hopes to succeed even as a previous wave of Central Americans were unable to quickly enter the United States. Central American migrant caravans have become a flashpoint in the debate over U.S. immigration policy, as President Donald Trump has remained adamant that the migrants will be barred from crossing the border.

White House Reportedly Explored Military Options for U.S. Strike on IranThe White House explored military options to strike Iran, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Sunday. Following a mortar attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad in September by a group linked to Iran, US National Security Adviser John Bolton asked the Pentagon to provide the military with options to ‘strike back’ at the Islamic Republic, according to the report.

British Public School: Boys Can Have Periods Too
In what can only be described as a rejection of biology and reason, the Brighton & Hove City Council in southeast England recently approved LGBT guidelines for its schools whereby students will be taught that “menstruation must be inclusive of all genders,” apparently including biological males and transgender females (i.e., boys pretending to be girls).

Democrats Won’t Challenge The Anti-Semitism In Their Party
Freshman Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan has called President Trump a “mother-f***er” and accused American politicians of having a dual loyalty to Israel — why won’t Democratic leaders challenge the radicals inside their party?